Massachusetts Considers Legalizing Assisted Suicide (5833)

A victory in the Bay State could give the 'death-with-dignity' lobby momentum.

BOSTON — The forces are gathering in Massachusetts for what could prove a strategically crucial political battle over assisted suicide, climaxing with a vote on specific legislation in the November elections.

So far, only Washington and Oregon have legalized the prescription of fatal drugs to the terminally or incurably ill who wish suicide.

In Montana, a court has ruled that it may be legal for a doctor to assist a suicide, while in New Mexico two physicians have recently sought a more binding ruling from the courts. The Pennsylvania Legislature is currently considering an assisted-suicide bill, while Georgia has just passed a law against assisted suicide.

Meanwhile, in Canada, activists are following both routes to enable assisted suicide or euthanasia.

Massachusetts’ population of 6.6 million and the state’s historical significance mean a third victory for the so-called dying-with-dignity lobby could well set an example that other Eastern states would follow.

A petition with 79,000 signatures has already guaranteed the state Legislature will consider a bill submitted by supporters of assisted suicide. With 10,000 more names, which they are very likely to get, they can put the bill on the ballot in November.

“Massachusetts is the gateway to the East,” said Jim Driscoll, executive director of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s four dioceses at the Statehouse. “People look to Massachusetts on these issues for leadership.”

Driscoll said that there were many groups — doctors, nurses, the disabled, hospice-care advocates — who would join the Church in opposing assisted suicide, but added that only preliminary discussions had taken place on the campaign. “Things should heat up after Labor Day for the November vote,” he added.

Driscoll said the Church’s theological basis for opposing the bill was that “life is a precious gift to us. It’s not humanity’s role to take life.”

“Whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church states. “It is morally unacceptable. Thus an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes the death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his creator.”

It goes on to say, “The error of judgment into which one can fall in good faith does not change the nature of this murderous act, which must always be forbidden and excluded. Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of ‘over-zealous’ treatment. Here one does not will to cause death; one’s inability to impede it is merely accepted” (2277-2278).

Elder Abuse

Among those groups that are opposed to the Massachusetts initiative is Second Thoughts, which was started by disabled people in 2011. Director John Kelly, a long-time disabled-rights advocate in the Boston area, said the proposed law has inadequate protection for disabled people, the elderly or terminally ill, in light of family members who are heirs or institutional caregivers intent on cutting costs.

“We already have elder abuse and abuse of the disabled,” said Kelly. “And it’s usually the caregiver who is the abuser. Once the lethal dose is in the house, there is no control over it. A caregiver could administer it without anyone’s knowledge.”

With elder abuse, said Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Ontario, Canada-based Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, “70% is done by friends or family. Those abused don’t tell anyone because they are afraid of the abuser, who is their caregiver.” Assisted suicide would, therefore, put lethal drugs into the hands of their abusers.

Kelly said that many people who are depressed by their illness or disability would be inclined to seek assisted suicide. “When other people are depressed or suicidal, they get treatment for the depression. But under this bill, the disabled or terminally ill would get a fatal drug, not treatment for depression The assumption in their case would be they were seeking suicide rationally. It’s a form of discrimination.”

Kelly also said mistakes are made in diagnosis which could prove fatal with the legalization of assisted suicide. He cited the case of Jeannette Hall, an Oregon woman diagnosed with a terminal illness who sought an assisted-suicide drug. But her doctor refused, recommending a new treatment. It worked, and 11 years later, she is still alive.

Kelly also pointed to several cases that have emerged from Oregon of institutional penny-pinching. Cancer patient Barbara Wagner complained that the state health plan had rejected her request for a new cancer drug and instead offered to fund her (much cheaper) assisted suicide. “I’ve still got things I want to do,” the retired bus driver told one TV reporter. Despite two appeals, the health plan refused to pay for more cancer treatment, but the drug maker provided it for free. She died after a year of treatment.

On the other hand, a 1998 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that savings to the health-care system from assisted suicide would be less than 1% of total health costs — or $627 million nationally.

Schadenberg said the basic social argument against euthanasia or assisted suicide is that “society should be caring for people, not killing them.” And the people society should be caring for the most, “the most vulnerable, the seriously ill, seniors and the disabled, are the most at risk from both of these measures.”

Stephen Crawford, spokesman for the Dignity 2013 initiative campaign, said the concerns expressed by disability groups had already been proved groundless. “We’ve had laws, just like the one we are proposing, operating for a few years in Washington and for 15 or so in Oregon. There’s never been any evidence of those kinds of abuses.”

Crawford says the Massachusetts law would have safeguards to protect the vulnerable. First, the person seeking the lethal prescription must be terminally ill, with just six months to live. Second, he or she must request it three times, twice verbally and once in writing with two witnesses, with two weeks separating each request. Only about 45 people actually follow through in action each year in each state.

People are not trying to play God, Crawford insisted. “They are dying anyway. They are just choosing a more dignified way to go, in the company of their loved ones.”

Polling shows majority support for euthanasia and assisted suicide among the general public, doctors and even Catholics. Most recently, a Public Policy Polling survey found 43% of people in Massachusetts approving of assisted suicide and only 37% opposed.

Palliative Alternative

But Schadenberg argues that fewer people would support euthanasia and assisted suicide if they realized that sufficient drugs can be administered to remove all the pain for terminally-ill patients, even if this has the unintended consequence of hastening death.

In Canada, a liberal judiciary is considering two constitutional challenges to the law against assisted suicide. And the Quebec government is considering a report recommending euthanasia.

“It’s Belgian-style euthanasia,” said Schadenberg. “It wouldn’t be for just the terminally ill, but for anybody facing physical or mental suffering. It’s very vague. Does it mean psychological suffering? We think the depressed need good help, not death.”

Polling indicates Canadians favor such measures, but the Canadian Parliament last year defeated an assisted-suicide bill resoundingly. While Quebec legislators might support euthanasia, they cannot change the federal law making it a crime. The proposal would try to get around that by simply directing Quebec prosecutors not to prosecute such cases.

“The report also recommended increased spending on better palliative care for the dying,” said Schadenberg. “That is what we’d like to see.”

Comments

“This is how we control everyone and force their beliefs down our throats”. Tim, isn’t that what this Administration is doing. Through “law”, they want to force all sorts of things on us. According to the new Health Bill, if you are rich you are covered completely and if you are poor, then you are not. [the same as Medicaid}. So the new Health Bill will do you no good. You will have cheaper insurance that will pay for very little. If the government passes this suicide law in every State, people will be put to death, whether they want to or not. [especially if they cannot afford it] THIS IS COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE PEOPLE. This is called population control. So it can work the other way around also. I am very sorry that you are in constant pain. I am hoping that you can get more help by contacting your Representative-or-you can find a large hospital or organization on the internet that may be of help to you. Some hospitals have Social Workers who may work with you on this. You just have to keep trying and calling them. God Bless you and give you strength to endure this bad time in your life.

Posted by tim on Thursday, May 3, 2012 10:38 AM (EST):

This really makes me mad. There are a million other diseases that cause severe suffering, Cancer is not the only painful condition in this life. Have you people ever lived with cronic pain for more than a decade???? Once you have cronic pain you’re screwed unless you have alot of money and can afford to get the best doctor’s who will give you what you need for the pain. Live for a decade in severe pain then tell me I should not have any right’s to die the way I want to. This is how we control everyone and force our beliefs down their throats. If you have money you can get all the expensive drugs and treatments. If you have been down the long road of disability, the failed surgeries, the failed procedures, the humiliation of having your insurance cancelled because they don’t want to pay for your illness any longer, the pre-existing condition that excludes you from all kinds of insurance etc. You end up on medicaid after of course they have cleaned our your account’s and any other assets they can get their hands on. Then comes the best part the only relief you get is from powerful pain killers NOTHING els will control your pain. You are broke tired and now your insurance is gone. What are you now??? You are a low life medicaid patient and believe me they will try to shove this also down your throat. Now you have chronic severe pain but not cancer so getting pain relief becomes a major problem and with no money good luck. Who is going to help you now. If they feel like it they can dismiss you as a drug seeking degenerate. Believe me this can happen and then to tell someone they cannot even get out of this with dignity is moraly wrong and a sin. If I want to end this humiliation and suffering then god damn it I should have just as much a right to end it as the house hold pet. If you don’t want it don’t do it but who the hell give YOU the right to tell everyone else what to do. Didn’t god say let those of you with out sin cast the first stone. YOU don’t have the right to play god and tell people they can’t do what they want with THEIR OWN LIVES. When you have dealt with all of this you should have the god given right to say now is the time I choose to go, I am tired and I have had enough. I am ready to go

Posted by wayne on Tuesday, Apr 17, 2012 4:20 PM (EST):

On a finacial side, would ones life insurance police be concedered void because the patient died unnaturally.

Posted by LRoy on Saturday, Apr 14, 2012 10:12 AM (EST):

Cardinal O’Malley has created a DVD about this. As for me, just hook me up in front of the TV.

Posted by Sue (old) on Friday, Apr 13, 2012 10:20 AM (EST):

@Chi: Hospice requires that your doctor “speculates” whether the patient has six months to live. I worked for a Hospice [in the office]and one patient lived past the six months, [we rejoiced & thanked God]. Her doctor gave her another six months. Yes, doctors are not God and doctoring is not an exact science, and that patient had almost one year of palliative care. Note**Rosemary: Hospice also goes into nursing homes to care for patients and the larger hospices have resident homes [some call it ‘hospice house’] where a patient can go for a short while or longer if they do not have a caregiver at home. Any info about Hospice is on the internet and they all work the same.
@Rich:Many people have no idea what the time in Hospice manifests. My husband was an unbaptized protestant. I had no idea what I was going to do for his funeral, never going through this before [living away from family and going through this on my own] God, in his way, let me know “I was not alone”. A woman, who went to Ireland, gave me Holy Water from a Grotto there and she said I should put it in my husband’s shaving water. I put it on my husband’s bureau and I totally forgot about it. One night, without even thinking about it,I got out of bed and Baptized my husband with that Holy Water. Days later, the Deacon from my church came and offered to have a funeral Mass for his service. It was like everything was being done for us. After 26 yrs I am still in touch with his wonderful hospice nurse. It was a hard time for me but looking back, with the help of God, my Church and Hospice I have warm memories of a difficult time,just as Rich D. What memories would one have if you assisted your loved one in killing.

Posted by Rich D on Friday, Apr 13, 2012 7:54 AM (EST):

I had a friend, Mike, who died of cancer in his 30’s. He suffered during his illness, although the pain medications did make it manageable. During this time he was able to reach out to people in his past that he hurt and make amends. I was one of those people. If Mike had committed suicide (i.e., he died when he wanted and not when God wanted) he would not have had the opportunity to do five things: 1) Repent from his sins, 2) receive forgiveness from those that he hurt, 3) offer up his suffering to the Father in this life instead of the next, 4) receive last rites and Jesus’ Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity before he died, and 5) give others the opportunity to care for him, love him, and pray for him. These five gifts, like the five wounds of Jesus, have immeasurable worth and will not be truly understood until we are on the other side of the veil.

Posted by Karen Gala on Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 9:15 PM (EST):

Evil. Murder.Dangerous.I cringe when I here of someone who has to “Put Down” a beloved cat or dog. I am a Catholic and a nurse.I lost my husband at the age of 44years old.He had terminal cancer.At his passing,he was surrounded by his 3 young children,his dogs and his favorite music playing.He was was given Blessing By a Catholic priest.With the help of an angel from Hospice he past on to God..peacefully.I say a prayer for all those who lack faith..Death comes to us all,but like life, it is a continuing journey .

Posted by rosemary on Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 7:18 PM (EST):

Both my parents did not want to burden their children but I am so happy that I had that time to get to know them and to see them prepare for their deaths. This law causes fear in me because I think of all those elderly people in nursing homes with no one to speak for them. The disabled with no voice. Again for convenience or money gain, we are going after the helpless ones that cannot speak for themselves. **Note Chi that most doctors do not take the hypocratic oath anymore.

it is better to have your purgetory on earth than suffer needlessly when we all die as is god’s will . we have a set amount of time and then death so , use your time wisely .

Posted by Zoe on Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 3:37 PM (EST):

My father-in-law died of cancer. It was a very hard time for our family and ofcourse my father-in-law did not want to burden us. Aren’t all parents like this? But we as children never see it as a burden. We love him. His suffering and death brought our entire family together. We prayed with him and we took turns caring for him. (We also had wonderful hospice care.) Just being around him and seeing him smile at the grand kids through his suffering gave us strength and courage to face the enevitable. You see, our father gave us so much before he died (surrounded by his entire family). What a gift for our family. He was a strong man who loved, provided and cared for his family and that’s how we remember him. Everyone who is dying (and their family) deserve moments like this. This is a dignified death. And we as Christians should reach out to those who are suffering so that they know they are loved.

Posted by chi on Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 12:41 PM (EST):

I think there is a mix-up in definition here. And this is where the legal gurus must take note. The caption, ‘assisted suicide’, is just a misnomer. Somebody who wants to commit suicide does it all by himself/herself and normally without any assistance, other than the material he/she had procured for the act. When this happens, many legal jurisdictions do not consider this quintessential suicide an offence since the law cannot try a dead person. At this point, the case is closed. However, if it happened that any living person had, in one way or the other aided, abeted, counselled or procured the idea of suicide to this dead person, then such a living person would be liable. Those are the basic principles of law. Therefore the so-called assisted suicide is unlawful. Stating six months to as a condition is mere speculative. Who holds the key of life of anyone? So such a proviso opens up serious legal arguments that would lead to many serious legal acrobatics. From the moral angle, the taking of one’s life for whatever reason is abominable as much as it is awful. I think that the Hippocratic Oath must hold sway in this circumstance; the terminally ill patient could be given some medical palliatives until the natural course of events takes its toll, that is death; suicide, like murder, is evil in all religions and must be discouraged by everyone.

Posted by Scott W. on Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 12:24 PM (EST):

@Mark Wright: You are mischaracterizing. At least in Catholic teaching, we do not believe “there is nothing more important than keeping a dying body going for as long as possible, no matter the consequences.” Rather, people can refuse expensive treatments, operations, etc. What we can’t do is deliberately kill an innocent human being. As Manda pointed out “Assisted” is euphamistic.

Posted by Manda on Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 11:34 AM (EST):

People who are in favor of assisted suicide have tried to remove God out of their lives and are trying to take over control of their lives and fate. But the fact remains, God is still there. Furthermore “assisted” suicide and suicide are the same thing. You are killing a person! People want to add “assisted” in front of suicide, to make it sound less guilty and less harmful. But it does not take away from the fact that it is killing another person. I wonder if these people have ever stopped to think, that maybe there is a reason why the soul is holding on and maybe God has an unforeseen reason why this person has not passed away. To realize all of this, one must remain in their faith in God. Because once you try to remove God out of the picture, you have in fact put up blinders to his undying love or power over evil. May God Bless the souls of those who have fallen victim to assisted suicide. And I pray for those who are considering assisted suicide, that their hearts and minds may be open to God’s love and graces.

Posted by Sue (old) on Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 10:47 AM (EST):

I am writing this with much anger. How dare anyone tell me at age 85 that I am worthless and will put the medical world, the government and my family in dyer monetary straits, etc. if I continue to live. I think I am precious, I am here because GOD MADE ME. He did not make me to have my life controlled by any other human being. HE WILL TELL ME WHEN IT IS MY TIME AND NO ONE ELSE! Now that I got that out of my system, I will tell you that my husband at the age of 60 had metastatic renal cancer. I had Hospice come in and if anyone knows about pain management, they do. He was never in pain, lived 15 months and had a quiet,“dignified” death, regardless of what that fool Schadenberg says. I would love to know WHY these people are pushing for euthanasia. There has to be a reason. If his “polling” is true abt. some Catholics approving asst. suicide, then they should be excommunicated. I sometimes get upset with my Catholic Church, but I keep in mind that IT IS FOR LIFE and that is what I truly love about it.

Posted by esther lastoria on Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 10:35 AM (EST):

I read this and heard through the grape vine this was coming down the pike. Being a care giver for a number of years, for the disabled, mentally and physically, also caring for the elderly throughout my life, I am so opposed to this and could never and would never assist in taking somebodies life. That is not my job or my consciencous. There are other means, such as healthcare proxy’s “on do not resusitate, etc…. hospice, and other supports. If they pass this we will probably have to write a new Health Care Proxy for ourselves and the Guardians (whether State Appointed or family??) of the disabled/mentally and phycially , will have to write one, too??. If I have to write one it would read. Please!! do not kill me, just give me the best care you can and if all means fail then do not resutiate me. Life no matter what stage or disability is precious and I have been blessed to witness it in my life with the moments of joy in good days and sorrow in bad days. God have mercy on us all!

Posted by Mark Wright on Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 9:52 AM (EST):

Keeping people alive when they and their relatives don’t want it is needless, inhuman torture. People should have a choice in the matter, and not have their lives controlled by people who are so entranced by the value of human life that they believe there is nothing more important than keeping a dying body going for as long as possible, no matter the consequences. There are few personal freedoms as important as the right to die with dignity, at a time of one’s own choosing. Those who don’t like that idea are welcome to keep themselves and their loved ones going as long as they want. Just don’t force the rest of us to play your game if we don’t want to.

Posted by Beth on Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 8:20 AM (EST):

The Massachusetts Medical Society has an excellent statement stating its strong opposition to physician-assisted suicide.

Posted by Gene on Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 7:31 AM (EST):

Doesn’t Obamacare provide for it, too?

Posted by Daniel on Thursday, Apr 12, 2012 5:17 AM (EST):

I live in this filthy, depraved, ungodly state. May Almighty God have mercy on us if this passes into law which, I’m afraid, has a good chance in the devil’s playground known as Massachusetts.

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